Shadows of the World » Band of Brothers

22: Not So Scarce

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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"Heard you, uh, beat some'a the guys in a drinkin' contest," Eugene spoke into the short silence that had fallen. He had come across Juliette wandering along the outskirts of the village; she had been walking, lost in thought, for so long that she hadn't even realised she'd reached the opposite side, right where the army's medical tents were set up.

Juliette giggled, swinging her legs where they hung off of the table she perched on whilst she watched him roll bandages. "Beat? More like slaughtered. Henry and I absolutely obliterated them, Gene. Destroyed them."

"Destroyed their pride, more like," Eugene commented drily. He shot Juliette a small smile when he heard her laugh. "They've been goin' on and on about it since."

"Why weren't you there?" she wondered, rolling the fabric of the skirt of her dress between two fingers. She had just been sent a new one, which was technically supposed to be reserved for missions, but it was so different to what she was used to she was desperate to wear it just once before it likely got blood all over it in the field and was rendered useless. It was patterned with cherries which matched her lipstick, and when she wore it she felt like the young woman her younger self had imagined she'd become. It was a feeling that filled her with an unexplainable warmth.

Eugene shrugged. "I was on inventory for the night. Sad to have missed it considerin' everythin' I hear went down."

Juliette tilted her head as she watched him pick up more bandages to roll. "What is it you hear 'went down'?" she asked, before sighing abruptly. "Gene, will you really not let me help? I have two hands, a pair of eyes, and an, admittedly, below-average amount of common sense, but I'm sure I can roll some bandages."

Eugene rolled his eyes. "If someone comes in here and catches me slackin' off and lettin' you do my job I'll get in more trouble than it's worth." He sent her a pointed look which shut her up and went back to his work. "Anyway, heard you rejected Liebgott. It's basically all Guarnere can talk about."

Juliette hummed. "Do they not get along? Bill and Joe?"

Eugene shrugged. "They run in different circles. There was an incident on the ship on the way here, though. They had a fight over somethin' and I guess they've not talked that much since."

"Both big characters?" she wondered.

Eugene laughed and hummed his affirmation. "Mm-hm."

"Who's your best friend in the company?" Juliette then asked. She took the time to glance around at the tent and see what they had. No one on her team was a medical specialist but they had had to learn some of the basics in training in case anything should happen in the field. She'd had to remove bullets and wrap wounds more often than she'd have liked to admit, so she was interested to see what materials were generally considered appropriate to do those things with.

Meanwhile, Eugene paused before finally shrugging. "I, uh, I try not to get too close. I'm gonna have to save their lives one day, wanna make sure I'm not so sentimental that I can't do my job."

Juliette nodded her understanding, sad though the sentiment was. Perhaps, she thought, that was why he'd allowed her so close; she was a friend he could have without the worry that one day she'd be dying in his arms and he would be the one solely responsible for saving her life. She smiled to think that their friendship was mutually beneficial, as thus far she had only considered herself to be the one getting anything out of it.